The Great Colorado Outdoors: Where Life is Best Experienced from a Horse

Spring has finally sprung—full-on—here in Colorado and despite the fact that it snowed about ten days ago, this week the thermometer has been registering summertime temps. Roadways over the highest mountain passes are being plowed for passage and outfitters of all sorts are preparing for the influx of summer visitors. There’s still some snow to be cleared from the steep mountain trails, however, with the warmth of our southwestern Colorado sun, all our glorious wilderness will soon be open to locals and vacationers alike.

My fellow ski instructor buddies have taken up their summer posts as guides, landscapers or in my case, as a full-time writer, to name a few. Mother nature and all of us fortunate enough to live in this beautiful country are transitioning nicely into summer. At the end of ski season, I sat down with Dennis Huis, a top ski instructor at Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, to hear about his flip side, the job he’s been doing every summer for about as long as he’s been in ski school world.

Such are the famous words shouted by the Lone Ranger as this masked man gallops off on Silver, his handsome white stallion, the same words shouted by kids throughout the decades as they head off on an adventure. Ever since the original radio show aired in 1933, through the popular TV series of the forties and fifties, across the pages of comic books and then highlighted in films, “Hi-Yo Silver!” has captured the excitement and dashing spirit of the West for the better part of a century.

I’m feeling a little sentimental these days. Lately this golden season has flooded me with memories of two significant trips I took in the West at this time of year. The first occurred eleven years ago when I discovered the penetrating red rock landscapes of Moab, Utah during a road trip with the goal of where to settle in the West. The second happened in Monument Valley when I accompanied my parents on a trip-of-a-lifetime through southern Utah and then down to the Grand Canyon. (Visiting the Canyon had always been a dream of father’s—little did he know he’d end up marveling at the awe-inspiring monuments of Monument Valley just as much.)

Red Cliffs Lodge in Moab

At each of these high desert destinations, I felt and continue to feel humbled by the panoramic vistas seemingly painted in every shade of red throughout this arid land. Here buttes, spires and pinnacles tower over you as though nature’s standing guard in what sometimes looks like one of America’s last great frontiers. It’s no wonder some of the most iconic images of our country may be found in Moab and Monument Valley, Utah. The greatest westerns ever made were filmed here, specifically at two lodges that continue to pay tribute to the rich history of movie-making that occurred around their properties: Red Cliffs Lodge in Moab and Goulding’s Lodge in Monument Valley. The landscapes at and surrounding these ranches have, in fact, been so well preserved that movies, TV shows and commercials continue to be filmed here today. (Johnnie Depp was just at Goulding’s last spring filming the new version of “The Lone Ranger.”)

When most people think of Moab, Utah, they imagine red rock landscapes the likes of which you see in some of the best westerns. Indeed, many great movies, TV shows and commercials, featuring the rugged scenery of the great American West, have been and continue to be made here, It is the land of two wonderful national parks: Arches and Canyonlands. But those in-the- know—and especially those that have traveled to the sweetest spots of Moab along the banks of the Colorado River—are aware that there’s many an oasis within this russet-red land.

Surely one of the most lush, the greenest piece of well-irrigated earth—long ago homesteaded by adventuresome settlers—makes up the Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa, a veritable paradise where fine living meets the great outdoors. I first stayed here nearly eleven years ago, shortly after the ranch was transformed into an elegant resort and here I am happy to find myself once again. It’s the kind of place you want to settle into for an entire week, but sadly I’m just passing through. Who ever said the life of a travel writer is marked by long periods of rest and relaxation?

It’s been feeling like summer around here in southwestern Colorado and there’s no rain in the forecast (sadly since we really do need the moisture). But it’s a great time for enjoying the outdoors, day and night.

Courtyard at The Rochester

Our nicest mountain towns put on summer concerts in unparalleled settings throughout the summer, although most of these happenings don’t begin until July. In Durango, however, you can get a jump on these memorable musical evenings by attending one of the Wednesday June concerts hosted in the courtyard of The Rochester Hotel. Their lineup kicks off tonight with the oh-so talented (and oh-so cute!) Alex Maryol, the soulful Santa Fe bluesman. Happy hour begins at 4 p.m., music from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The courtyard at The Rochester will be sizzling with musical events every Wednesday in June. Click here for the complete schedule. There you’ll also see other doings announced such as art exhibitions and special parties. To me, The Rochester Hotel & Bar rates as one of the most fun and dynamic places of lodging in this fiery Western town. I’ve always found their courtyard to exude a sultry feel, so I’m sure this is a great place to spend a warm Rocky Mountain evening. Keep in mind, too, that Durango’s temps soar higher than those of Telluride, Aspen and Vail, so partying in the town’s numerous outdoor venues is a huge part of their summer scene.

If you’ve read some of my posts on my blog and/or if you’re familiar with my books on France, you likely know by now that I love hotels. Historic hotels in particular move me. I’m a big fan of experiencing these bastions of history and tradition during one’s travels, whether it’s to pop in for a drink or to stay a few nights. No matter how you choose to discover these landmark properties, a visit to them allows you to soak up the spirit of the place for either a brief moment or a more luxurious stay. The world is peppered with such places of lodging, steeped in history, that folks have been enjoying in many cases for more than a century. I encourage my readers to seek them out at every turn because it’s often within their splendiferous interiors that we gain the true essence of the place we’re visiting; it’s here we’re able to peer into the past while embracing the present.

In most cases, these fine establishments serve as the cornerstones of the cities and towns we love to visit. Many were built during the golden era of that destination in an effort to express to the world all that the town had achieved, all that the community was becoming. Erecting a notable place of lodging for business and leisure travelers alike was a sure-bet way of putting a destination on the map in addition to providing the right conditions for welcoming visitors in a more dignified and glorious manner.

Nearly every town and city in Colorado boasts a fine hotel, most of which were built during the boomtown era of the mining days toward the latter part of the nineteenth century. It was one of the most significant ways of saying “we’ve arrived.” Finally an old cow town could receive its potential investors and other movers and shakers of the day in a proper manner. The Strater Hotel in Durango, Colorado stands out as one of the finest examples of this necessity to build a handsome place of lodging in emerging towns throughout the West.

Strater Elegance

As Durango’s future hung in the balance between a mining camp and a metropolis, a very young Cleveland pharmacist named Henry Strater had the vision of exactly what this southwestern Colorado town needed: a grand hotel. He fibbed about his age, borrowed money and forged forward. Toward the end of the 1800s, the Strater Hotel opened and its 376,000 native red bricks and hand-carved sandstone cornices and sills are as resplendent today as at its beginning.

In more recent years, the Barker family restored this Victorian gem to its original glory while updating it with today’s amenities. Staying in one of the hotel’s guest rooms, each handsomely decorated with hand-carved woodwork, beautiful Bradbury and Bradbury wallpapers and fine antiques, makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The hotel’s collection of American Victorian-era walnut furniture is, in fact, one of the largest in the world. Renowned western author Louis L’amour loved the Strater so much that he would hole himself up in room 222, just above the hotel’s Diamond Belle Saloon to write his western-inspired novels. The honky tonk music from the Diamond Belle apparently helped set the mood for his writings about the Old West.

The Diamond Belle Posse

Still going strong today, no trip to Durango is complete without entering the Diamond Belle Saloon, a gilded scene straight out of the Far West. There’s always great entertainment to be enjoyed filled with exuberant piano playing and old time-y tunes. If you’re looking to pass a more reserved moment at the Strater, have a drink at The Office Spiritorium, a handsome bar/lounge where you can enjoy drinks, appetizers and fine music. New American cuisine is served nightly in the Mahogany Grille, also within The Strater.

For a real step back in time, check out the Durango Melodrama & Vaudeville at The Henry Strater Theater, a tradition that has marked Durango summers for forty-eight years. Good news: This year the shows are running through September 24th, a real testament to the increasing popularity of this event since they previously ended in August. Here’s Webster’s definition of melodrama: a work (as in a movie or play) characterized by extravagant theatricality and by the predominance of plot and physical action over characterization. I’ll also add that you should expect lots of audience participation, so it’s best not to arrive late or you’ll miss the necessary cues. Here, too, the tickling of the ivories doesn’t get much better.

As you can perhaps tell from all the offerings, the Strater represents the hub and the heart of Durango, one of the best darn towns in the West. Today you can still rub elbows with ‘ole cowboys and ranchers (especially on weekend nights) along with outdoorsy types of every ilk. Durango and the Strater seem to be more happening than ever. Isn’t it lovely how they’ve moved forward while honoring their past? Even if you only have a moment, take a little walk around the lobby at The Strater Hotel and admire the Victorian elegance and western charm of this iconic establishment. And even if it’s just for a fleeting moment, here I promise you’ll breathe in a good whiff of the West’s prominent past.

Can’t decide whether you want to vacation in the Southwest or the mountains? How about choosing a place of lodging where you enjoy the spirit and landscapes of both? Check out Chipeta Sun Lodge & Spa, a lovely southwestern-inspired adobe retreat set within the majestic San Juan Mountains, just an hour from Telluride, Colorado. Situated in the charming little town of Ridgway (featured in John Wayne films such as “True Grit”), I often recommend Chipeta as an excellent base for visiting the many interesting sites and towns that pepper southwestern Colorado and southern Utah.

If you travel further into the mountains from Ridgway, you can easily explore the historic old mining towns of Telluride, Ouray and Silverton. If you head toward Montrose, you can hit the Ute Indian Museum, a well-worth-the-stop attraction that showcases one of Colorado’s most complete collections of Ute ceremonial and traditional artifacts. Just on the other side of Montrose, plan to spend at least a half day at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a stunning and somewhat spooky site that provokes nearly as many oohs and aahs as the Grand Canyon. And within a two-hour drive you can find yourself amidst the striking red rock of Moab and other parts of southern Utah in addition to Arches National Park and Canyonlands.

Since there’s so much to visit in the area and most of the lodging at Chipeta includes condo-type units, you’ll likely want to check in here for a week. Plan at least a couple of relaxing rest days where you can stay put at this warm and welcoming lodge just to loll by the pool or enjoy a treatment in their spa.

View from the Porch of Chipeta's Four Corners Cafe

Whether you’re staying at the lodge or just passing through, a stop at Chipeta’s Four Corners Cafe for dinner or drinks is a must. Here you’ll be enchanted by the striking vistas provided from the top-floor location of this casual restaurant and bar. Inside, the scene serves up heaps of southwestern charm within its desert rose-colored interior. As the sun sinks beneath the mountains, you’re bathed in pink light most evenings whether you’re seated inside or out.

The Sunny Interior of the Four Corners Cafe

Indeed this heartwarming lodge is aptly named. It’s called Chipeta, in honor of the lovely wife of Chief Ouray, head of the Ute Indians that once inhabited this land, a gentle woman that eventually became “queen” of both the whites and the Utes of the region. Embracing the rich diversity of this part of the country is what Chipeta, the lodge and the beloved Native American figure, are all about.

July is a wonderful time to visit Chipeta Sun Lodge and its Four Corners Cafe, especially this year with such a rockin’ Ridgway Concert Series lineup. Free concerts take place every Thursday throughout the month from 6p.m. ‘til dark in Ridgway’s Town Park. What a great way to kick off the weekend!

Togethering, a term coined not long after 9/11, has gained momentum over these past years as families and friends enjoy the bonds created by spending vacations together. Multi-generational traveling has become more commonplace than ever as more and more families hit the road with grandma and grandpa in tow. Parents with young children seem well-equipped to deal with the needs and demands of their little ones while away from home. They’re just basically taking their show on the road since they’re already well accustomed to taking care of their kids at home. Sure, certain adjustments have to be made but most people know their children well enough to be able to make them “happy campers” when traveling. But what about our aging parents’ needs? Do we know how to make a trip smooth sailing for them?

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